Prime Minister Modi and President Biden hold Virtual Summit

Tags: Russia-Ukraine International Relations

The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a virtual summit meeting  on 11 April 2022, with American President Joe Biden ahead of the 2+2 dialogue between India and the United States of America.

The situation in Ukraine and Russia was the main agenda of their discussion. Amongst the QUAD group of countries only India has not condemned and imposed any sanction on Russia. The other QUAD members like the US, Australia and Japan have imposed sanctions on Russia for its attack on Ukraine.

• The United States wants India to condemn Russia for its attack on Ukraine, not to buy any oil from Russian companies, and put pressure on Russian President Putin to stop the war against Ukraine.

• India has very close ties with Russia with around 60 to 70 % of its defence equipment are of Russian origin. Russia has also supported India in the past on crucial issues like Kashmir and against Pakistan.

• India has so far abstained on every anti-Russian resolution in the United Nations  and has remained neutral on the issue.

• President Biden welcomed India’s humanitarian support for the people of Ukraine and called the Russian invasion a “horrific assault”. He said that the US and India are going to continue “close consultation on how to manage the destabilising effects of this Russian war”.

• Prime Minister Modi highlighted India’s humanitarian aid to Ukraine and condemned the killing of civilians allegedly by the Russian troops in the Ukrainian city of Bucha.